The Metal Element

Welcome to autumn and element of metal. As the air begins to chill and nature begins to shed its excesses of summer, we find that we too need to shed and hone in on what is most important to us. Fall is a great time for this. Being ruled by the element of metal, fall is a time of letting go. Just as the trees allow their leaves to return to the soil to turn into something new, now is the time to unplug our energies from the old--that which does not serve us--and allow those energies, in time, to be used for a new direction.

In the fall we begin to cook our foods more. Fresh salads give way to hearty soups. With the pungent flavor ruling the season, it is time to add these flavors such as onions, garlic and the (not quite) newly-discovered flavor of umami. Umami is the pungent flavor discovered in the 20th century and found readily in shitake mushrooms. Other pungent foods include: cauliflower, pears, cinnamon, mint, tarragon, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, scallions, cloves, fennel seed and bulb, cilantro, parsley, anise, dill, mustard greens, wasabi, horseradish, mustard, basil, and nutmeg.

Chai is a great way to get some of this pungency into you - i’ve included a recipe below:

After heating the tea the next day, add 1 -2 teabags of black tea. Steep one minute. The black tea is an important healing catalyst in the tea. Add milk and honey to taste. (this recipe is from the Sikh community of northern New Mexico)

Written by Stephanie Gianarelli of Acupuncture Northwest & Associates, an acupuncture clinic specializing in mental health, pain, fertility and pregnancy with clinics in Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma, Washington.

Infertility and Covid-19 are not a good combination. For all of you struggling to conceive and your treatments are being deemed non-essential....

04/20/2020

My FSH is now 5.9. (When I was told the number over the phone, I had to have her repeat it three times, I was just stunned!!) When I was first tested in December, it was 33. Our Ob/Gyn said that the number could bounce around, but there was almost no chance that it would ever be a normal level. Two months later, and here I am. All of you are miracle workers! Thank you!!!!!! S.G.— (now mother of two)read more